Treatment adherence in patients with heart failure receiving nurse-assisted home visits

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/19820194201500008 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Conflicts of interest: there are no conflicts of interest. Abstract Objective: To assess treatment adherence in patients with heart failure receiving nurse-led home visits after hospital discharge. Methods: This was a before-and-after study involving patients who had been recently hospitalized for decompensated heart failure. Three home visits were conducted within 45 days of hospital discharge. Treatment adherence was assessed in the first and third visits through a 10-item questionnaire (cutoff point: 18 = 70% adherence). In the first and second visits, patients were educated as to their condition, treatment adherence and self-care. Results: There were 32 patients included, mean age 65±16 years, 18(58%) male. The 32 patients received a total of 96 home visits. Treatment adherence scores were of 16±2.6 vs 20.4±2.7 in the first and third visits, respectively (p=0,001). Weight monitoring and liquid restriction behaviors improved significantly following the intervention. Conclusion: The in-home educational intervention led to significant improvements in the treatment adherence of recently-hospitalized patients with heart failure.